You can thank the unlikely combination of the Buffalo Girls, Jean Michel Jarre and the Supreme Team for Dobie’s initiation into the world of beats, breaks and melodies. Having lost his vinyl virginity to the 70’s synth pop of ‘Oxygen’ it was Hip Hop that made really got him hooked and made him want to buy records.
“First time I saw that shit on TV with the Supreme Team I was like that looks like fun I wanna do that. I’m the original bedroom DJ. I wasn’t playing out I was just always in my pad playing buffalo girls. To be honest, I’m not really into a lot of things but when I do get into something it grabs me, I’m hooked, I live it…”
It’s this ‘all or nothing’ ethos that’s held Dobie in good stead and seen him make a respectable name for himself not just DJing. remixing and producing but also in the realms of photography and skateboarding. After rolling though his formative years creating mischief at south bank, Dobie earned his stripes as a producer with Soul II Soul, before teaming up with Howie B under the moniker Nomad Soul and eventually striking out on his own as master remixer. It was here Dobie started to catch people’s attention, deftly tweaking the likes of Bjork, Tricky, Massive Attack and Gangstarr
“Making music is for me much the same vibe as when you get on a skateboard, you don’t plan where your going, you just go and see where you end up. I like to step up to the challenge, see how you can flip a tune round and take it somewhere else.”
It’s this perverse ability to flip an idea on its head that makes him unique. You never quite know what to expect from a Dobie creation, but you know its going to be a trip and that each listen will reveal something new. Take acapella epic “I’ll Be” from the Burnt Progress compilation. Avoiding the usual loop da loop clichés, Dobie allows the vocals to run unhindered and when he finally kicks out the jams, well…you best check out the tune yourself and see what all the fuss is about.
His music might be filtered through binary numbers but the end result, far from being squeaky clean and clinical, is fluid and organic. It’s not just logic, pro-tools and banks of computers that ignite his spark. ‘Dope beats, good herb, women, the sun, the moon, the sky and my imagination’ also make it into the mix. Likewise, although hip hop provides the heart and soul to everything he does, rifle through his record collection and nestled among the usual suspects you’re just as likely to find Killing Joke, Kate Bush, Devo and Joy Division.
“It was through skating that I got such an eclectic taste for music. I met all sorts of kids who were all into their own mad shit.”
This catholic taste came to fruition in Dobie first solo outing ‘The Sound of One Hand Clapping’ released on Howie B’s now defunct Pussyfoot label. Finally free to express himself as an artist in his own right Dobie revealed his true colours teaming up with a diverse range of vocalists such as Rodney P, Lain, Roots Manuva, putting their poetry in motion
“I’m a bit of a soul boy at heart melody and harmony is pleasing to my ear, I like good lyrics with a little sweetness about them”.
Like most musical mavericks Dobie’s constantly tinkering, a habit that’s left him with a stockpile of tracks, some of which may never see the light of day and others which have made it onto one of two albums revved up and raring to go. When are they going to be released? In this current musical climate, with labels folding, distributors going under who the hell knows. But whilst an ever growing legion of admirers hold their breath waiting to see where he’s gonna go next, Dobie’s just kicking back in his yard, gazing out over the London skyline, four floors high and rising.phonica, fat city, rough trade,boombox distrbution,loop23,piccadillyrecords.com,juno records,imusic,recordstore.co.uk, amazon.co.jp,wordandsound,piccadillyrecords.com,www.recordstore.co.uk,rush hour
